page_title: Usama Mukwaya
section_title: Early work (2010–2014)
hierarchical_section_title: Usama Mukwaya / Career / Early work (2010–2014)
caption_attribution_description: English: 7th Maisha Film Lab participants and mentors.
context_page_description: Usama "Osam" Nyanzi Mukwaya is a Ugandan screenwriter, film director, producer, actor and former television host. He launched his filmmaking career with the short film Hello that won overall best film in the 2010 MNFPAC Students Awards.
  His directorial debut was Love Faces, released in January 2018. His other major films include Bala Bala Sese, directed by Lukyamuzi Bashir; Mukwaya is credited as the film's writer and producer. The film was nominated by the Africa Movie Academy Awards for Best Film in an African Language. As of November 2018, he currently serves as the chief content officer for Stream Afrique, a subscription-based streaming platform which offers online streaming of majorly African content.
context_section_description: According to Usama, he started his writing as a child. He made his film Industry entry in 2010 through Dan Kiggundu's Maryland Productions where he debuted as a script editor and supporting actor in the TV drama Pain of Lies, which premiered in 2011.
  Through Uganda Film Network, he later joined Mariam Ndagire Film and Performing Arts Center, where he worked on his first short film, Hello, which won the overall best film at the 2010 MNFPAC Awards. In July 2011, he made it to the final selection of the 12 screenwriters from all over East Africa to participate in the 7th Maisha Film Lab, ending up with a collaboration with Diana Karua in the making of the movie She Likes Prada.
  Later in 2011, Mukwaya won the Young Achievers Award in the film and television category, the youngest among the recipients of the award in the newly introduced category alongside Rwandan president Paul Kagame, who won the lifetime achievement award.
  Amidst other four young directors in August 2012, he directed his first film, Smart Attempt, written by Julian Nabunya and Abel Mwesigwa during the first season of the Movie Furnace programme. He went on to participate in the program's second season with his short film In Just Hours; emerging the season's winner for best short film director.
  He has worked as a general secretary and treasurer of the Screenwriter's Guild of Uganda Film Network and as general secretary of the Pearl International Film Festival before being appointed festival programmer for the 7th 8th and 9th editions consecutively.
  He was quoted by The Observer newspaper alongside Ashraf Ssemwogerere in an interview about naming the growing film industry in Uganda, in which he stated that Ugawood could have been the appropriate name, citing that Kinna-Uganda had to do with mediocrity.
  In July 2014, Mukwaya started his own film production company O Studios Entertainment, based in Uganda that immediately opened with the production of the short film Tiktok, written and directed by himself. The studio has continued to produce various films including his directory debut, Love Faces.
caption: Mukwaya standing in front, first from right with fellow 2011 Maisha participants and mentors. Third on the same row is lab founder, film director Mira Nair.
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